River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-03-03
BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS.


Ny family was at the Bore planta-
ton when, in the afternoon of the Esd
Of December, 1914, General Jackson
was informed that The British had land
ed in Louisiana. and mat portion Of
their troops had been seen on the Viii
lere plantation below the city was
then at the College Of Orleans. corner
Of St. Claude and Bayou Road. alias
Hospital Street, when. AZ O'Clock P ~.
a great commotion was observed with
in its learned precincts. All studies
were suspended; the class-roonls shut
up; the pupils hurrying to and fro in
evident alarm; parents poured IN and
taking their children away. Mycousin.
Frederic Foucher. and myself were
beginning to fear our being forgotten
and left TO shift for ourselves.
instead of being as well cared for rs
most Of our conIpanions-both our
families being six miles above the city.
and ignorant oftheexciting newS-wh
there came a messenger from Madame
Poree, the sister of Pierre Foucher. and
the aunt OF Frederic. to tender rs the
| shelter of her house at the corner Of
Dumaine and Royal streets, which Is
still in existence, with the same an
tiquated front painted yellow, and with
/ the same balcony on which the two
| boys stood and saw Major Plauche's
! battalion of uniformed. well-equipped.
and well-drilled militia pass under it.
That corps was composed of the elite
of Tie young men of the city-ia jeuH-
/ eSsa d0ree-and il seems 10 me that
see now as wildly as ! saw then the
! handsome Edmond Foucher conSpicu-
| Gus in the ranks of those who were thus
marching rapidly 10 meet the enemy.
Looking up t. the balcony, he saluted
/ his old aunt with a cheerful smile and
/ wave of the band that seemed intended
to comfort her and dispel her alarms.
At seven O'Clock the battle began.
and the roar of the artillery. with the
discharges of musketry, was almost "a
distinctly heard as if in our immediate
neighborhood There was not the
| slightest noise in the apparently dead
/ city. 1t held its breath in awful sus-
| pense. There was not a human being
to be seen moving in the streets. We,
the two boys and the ladies of the house
hold, petrified into absolute silence by
| the apprehensions of the moment, stood
on the balcony until half past nine.
| when the firing gradually ceased. But
still we continued to remain on the
same spot; for what was TO happen?
Were our defenders retreating, pursued
by the enemy? These were hours of
anxiety never to be forgotten. About
eleven O'Clock the oppressive silence in
the city was broken by the furiously
rapid gallop of hOrseman shouting
Victory! victoryr' He turned from
Charities Street into Dumaine. and from
Dumaine into Royal, still shouting
Victory The voice had become
hoarse, and yet no human voice that
ever afterward heard was fraught with
more sweet music That night we went
to bed with thankful hearts. The two
boys soon slept somdly, as boys sleep,
with that blissful unconcern which APP
pertains to their age But doubt if
four kind hostess and her daughters
closed their eyes, for they had husbands,
brothers, sons on the battlefield, and
they did not know at what cost to them
the victory had been achieved.
In the morning q the preceding day
the famous battle of the Sth was fought
on the plains of Chalmette, four miles
below the city. In bee-line the dis
lance must have been very short
between the field of action and the Bore
plantation. six miles above New Orleans
by the windings Of the river. for the
furious caunonading and the discharges
of musketry were prodigiously distinct.
| The ladies of the family, pale with the
natural emotions OF fear produced by
the dangers of the situation. were
grouped on the broad gallery in front of
the house. No man was visible. for the
only one who had remained at home (on
account of his age) had. when the battle
began. assembled with slow bat firm steps
flight of stairs which led to the top Of
the portico At every volley of artillery
or musketry, flung myself on the floor,
exclaiming. lien Englishmen killed.
Twenty Engli,hmen HAT on the
ground and 50 on.
continued rejoicing in the fancIed
destruction of our invaders. notwith-
standing the remOnstrances of my poor
mother, in whose alarm / very little
participated. The battle had moi vet
ended when my grandfather Bore.
came down from his post Of observa-
ton with the same measured step and
the same self-possessiOn with which he
had assembled, and said TO his daugh-
tiers, who anxiously Intercepted his
looks, DISMISS your fears the Amer
leans are victorious.
but, father, how do you know it?'' /
inquired my mother.
You forget, my dear child, replied |
NJ de Bore, with calm smile. ''that | /
have some military experience. My
practised ear has not been deceived. |
am sure. The American guns have /
silenced the English guns. The enemy
is defeated
These words had hardly been spoken |
when, in the long avenue of pecan-trees |
that led to the river. there appeared
troop of about a hundred men rushing /
oward the house. THE English! here |
comes the English was the stimuli |
taneous cry of the women. NJ. de Bore |
stretched himself up to his full height, /
shaded his eyes with his hand, and after /
having looked steadily at the advancing
crowd, said. contemptuously, These |
men the English! BAH
They came rapidly to the piazza,
about six feet high, on which we stood,
and along which ran wooden balus- |
trade. NJ. De Bore did not understand |
one word of the language spoken by |
these unexpected visitors, whose raga- /
muffin appearance was no recommended |
ton. But if they were bandits, it was /
comfortable to see that they all were /
unarmcd.
WHO are they. and what do they |
want?" inquired NJ. de Bore, surveying /
them evidently with no friendly eye. He /
was informed by one of his family that I
they were fugitives who reported that +
the Americans had been completely +
routed. that they themselves were a
portion of the defeated, and that they |
begged for food. The blood ran to the !
cheeks of the old soldier. his ewes
flashed and he shouted In French To I